Open-hearth furnace



J. lC. CROMWELL AND W. M. MEHLHORN.

OPEN HEARTH FURNACE.

, APPLICATION F|LED1uN26..19.17.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.-

INVENTORS 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. C. CROMWELL AND W. M. MEHLHORN.

OPEN HEARTH FURNACE. APPLICATION HLED JUNEze. |917.

Patented Apr. 27,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 .Lv C. CROMWELL AND W. M. MEHLHORN.

OPEN HEARTH FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, i917.

Patented Apr. 27,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

C. CWM

Hx MMM W M nm I CRUMWELL AND W'. M. MEHLHORN.

OPEN HEARTH FURNACE.

APPLICATION r|LED1uNE26.|911.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

4 SHEETS-.SHEET 4.

INVENTOHS wl-msssEs Asfifnfins PATENT OFFICE.

. i :ronN c. cnoxwnLL, or CLEVELAND, omo, AND WILLIAM M. MEHLHoaN, or e e ror'rsvrLLn, PENNSYLVANIA. f

OPEN-Hanru rUaNAcE.'

To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN CnoMwnLL and 'WILLIAM M. MEHLHORN, both citizens.

I of 'the United States, residing, res ectively,

Y ets and regenerators, which quickly clog in y 4ol at Cleveland, Cuyahoga county,

Figure 1 is a view partly in planI and partly in horizontal section of a portion of an open hearth furnace structure having a regenerator .system embodying our inven'- Fig. 2 isa section on the irregular line II-II of Fig. 1; A l

Figs. 3 'and 4- are vertical sections in planes at rightl angles to each other through one end portion of the furnace and one of the cinder pockets;4 and 1 Fig. 5is a detail view of one of the lockh` ing devices for the removable bottoms of the cinder pockets.

This invention has relation to open-hearth furnaces and more particularly to furnaces of this type in which powdered coal, oil,-or

natural gas-is used as a fuel. The invention 1s particularly useful in connection with furnaces inwhich powdered coal is used. .The use of such fuel has been demonstratedto be a success, but existing furnaces are not properly adapted to this use, owing largely to the lack of provision'in such'furnaces of proper means forcleaning the cinder pockthe use ofsuch fuel, `the result being that the efficiency -of the furnace operations becomes seriously impaired.'

Our invention is designed to ,provide an open hearth furnace with a/'regnerator sys- `tem, which comprises` a plurality., of regenerator unitsof the vertical Stove type,

and which areso arranged that the different units may be readily cut out of action with.- out disturbin the operation of the remainin units. hese units are so constructed an arranged that when cut out of operation, theyv can be readily and thoroughly cleaned or repaired.

A further object of our invention is to provide an improvedA construction and arrangement of the cinder pockets 1n the rg;

'Sp'ecication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application led June 28, 1917. Serial No. 176,959.

generator connections whereb such ock- I bodiment of our invention and which will now be described, the numeral 2 designates the body portion of an open hearth furnace which .may be, in general, of any suitable or usual type. Each end of the furnace is connected by an uptake 3,with a cinder pocket 4. In accordance i.with our invention, each of theselpockets is constructed so that (as best shown inFi s. 3 and 4)-` there is an open space below t e bottom of the pocket to permit of the putting into place and removal of a removable bottom closure 5. This bottom closure is of pan form and may be andled in a manner similar to that empl' yed for .handling the.

bottoms of Bessemer converters, that is to say, it maybe readily moved into and out lof place below ithe open end of the pocket 4 on a suitable jackcar 6, 'running on tracks 7. When in place, it 'may be secured by any suitable means, such as the removable locking wedges 8, driven between lugs 9 on the sides of the closure and suitable wedge blocks 10, carried on supporting columns 11 of the structure.' 4

In further pursuance of our invention, we provide each side of the furnace with three regenerator units 12, 13, and, 14. These units are each of the vertical stove type generally similar to the hot-blast stoves emplo ed in' connection with blast furnaces an containing any suitable interior arrangement of checkerwork. Each unit 12 is connected`to the adjacent end of the furnace by a flue 15, and each unit 13 is similarly connected to the furnace by a flue 16. The-third unit` 14 is connected to the units 12 and 13 by the respective ues 17 and 18.

The units 12 and13 have the outlet ues 19 and 20, respectively, which unite and are connected to a'flue21, leading to the stack;v and the unit 14 has an outlet iue 22 also connected to the stack connection or flue 21. Each ofthe fines 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

' opening and closing Vthese valves and --for actuating the stove valves 4or dampers at the proper times in reversing the furnaces,-

this operatin mechanismforming n'o part of our inventlon.

Itl will be readily seen from an examination of Fig. 1 that in the normal operation ofv the furnace, and assumin the out oing ases to be .passing from t eend o urnace nearest tlie top of said figure, that such gases will divide between the iiues 15 and 16, passing (as shown in Fig. 2) to Athe upper portions of'the re enerator units 12 and 13,l thence downward y throughsaid units, thence through the 'lues 17 and 18,--v

to the lower ,portion of. the unit/14, at one side. This unit has a'central transverse vertical partitionli, which divides its interior into two reverse vertical passes. The gases entering the bottom of the unit at one side of the partition'pass upwardly therethrough across the top of said partition, thence downwardly at the opposite side thereof and to the outlet connection 21.` 'At ythis time, the three air valves at' the o posite e'nd of the furnace may be all opene in which thence divide between the two ilues 17 v an and 13, and through t e nues 15' and 16 into the cinder pocket and uptake at that 'end of the furnace. 4

In case it is desired to cut the unit 12 at either end out of operation for the purpose of cleaning or repairs, this can be readily done by closin the valves or dam rs in the iues 15 and 1 respectively. I it is desired to cut out the unit, 13, the valves4 or dampers in the fiues 16 and 23 will be similarly closed. If it is desired to cut outthe unit 14, the valves or dampers` in fiues 17 a and 18 will be closed. Under vthis condition, at the outgoing end of the furnace the gases w1ll divide, iowin l in arallel through the two units 12 an 13,'an thence through the outletv connections` 19 and 20,

the valves 23 in these connection's,'(wh ich are closed when the` unit 14 'is in service); being now opened. At; the incoming end of the furnace, the lair in like mannerdivides between the'units 12 and 13. For the :pur-

pose of facilitating the cleaning of the sev eral units, I provide a central pit, suchasl indicated atl 25, v and lateral pits 26.1( The central pit is provided -Jwithextensionsf 25' I from.

(shown in dotted 'lin'e'si rv 1) which clean-out openings, or passages'27 lead to the bottom of therespectiveunits-` 14.' Cleanout o nings or" ass manner lea from the @a se portion of one the v,

endof'the furnace, which are at all times in A 'pared-I- 18, and then upwardlyl through the 'units 12;'.

' claims.A

,nits-tobe. connected in series with thethird connections, y'and controlling .meansl'forisad' rlingl .n`1eansl beingconstructd and arranged @m28 in like units to beconnected'n seriesl with the third-.1 l1 1 6 i he valves or dampers 21L in the stack 70 l lues or connections 21 are provided only 'in' case it is desired to use a waste heat boiler -in connection with the `furnace. `YWe have indicated such a boiler' at 30 in Fig. 1. 31 designates 4the supply connections for the boler'leading from therrespective iiues 21 'back of the valves or dampers 21 of 'such v i flues, and 32 is anoutlet connection for the 2 exhaust gases leadin to the stack 33. l34l l I i designates a fan" or b ower used in-connection with the circulation of theA gases' f through the exhaust iler.

The advantages o our invention will Vbe y appreciated byfthose familiar with this art, since it provides an open hearth furnace having .a regenerator system especially` adapted' to the use of powdered fuel (a though also adapted vto the use of o ilor natural gas as afuel) in which the regenf V eratorsmayat all times be kept at-'or near 91o their maximum efficiency. The cleaningof- ,Y

the different units -can be effected `while -theI- "i furnace is inoperationand without anyde case, the incoming air will enter the bottoni of .one compartment of the unit 14, pass upfy vwardly vthrough s uch compartment,l downs' wardly through the other compartment lays i'suchoperatio'mthe twounits at each service, 'vin ample re' enerative capacitywhile tho1 thiigfd one is bi'ng cleaned or reur invention also provides an extremely eective and convenient means for keeping 1.00 the slag pockets at all times free and clear of accumulation. j v

We do not desire to limitourselves to the particular construction and arrangement of. l parts which we have herein shown andydefv scribed, since it will be obvious that-'theconstruction and 'arran ement "of the regen# f erator units, the severa ilues, lthe valves or 1 dampers, etc., may be widely changed without epartingfrom the spiritfand scope of our invention' s'dened'i'n the appendedA regenerator unitsf for each end` thereof, Hue

to rmit Aeither one orboth of two of said unit`," or -to bef connected parallel. with each other to the esclusi@ qfthe said ana, sua

stantially-S dBcribedfI a .imthavihgffheef 'f' regenerator for; each end.; thereof, flue 1* unit, or to be connected parallel with each other'to the exclusion of the said unit, said units being of the vertical stove type, substantially as described.

3., An open hearth furnace having three regenerator units for each end portion thereof, separate fiues connecting two of said units with the adjacent end of the furnace and with the sta-ck, and other fines connecting each of said two units with the third with the stack, and controlling means'for said iues, each stack flue vconnection having an air inlet.

5. An lopen hearth furnace having three regenerator units for each end portion thereof, separate fines connecting two of said units with the adj acen end of the furnace and with the stack, an other flues connecting each of said two units with the third unit, another lue connecting the third unit with the stack, and controlling means for said filles, each stack flue connection having an air inlet, there being `a controlling device between each of the two first named units and the furnace and between them and the third unit.

6,. An open hearth furnace having a plurality of regenerator units ofI the vertical stove type, means whereby one of said units may be disconnected from the furnace while the otherv units are in operation, and-means giving access to the base of eachunit for cleaning purposes.,

7. An open hearth furnace having a plurality o'f regenerator units of the vertical stove type, and means whereby any one of said units may be disconnected from the furnace while the other units are in operation, there being a pit adjacent to each unit,

and a cleaning passage or opening leading from the base of the unit to such pit.

8. ln a regenerator system for open hearth furnaces, two regenerator units, each having a separate connection to the same end of the furnace and having an up-pass therethrough, aj stack connection for each of said units, a third unit connected to the flower portion of each of the two rst named units, and the third unit also having a separate stack: connection.

9.1m' a` regenerator system for open hearth furnaces, two regenerator units, each having a separate connection to the same end of the furnace and havlng an up-pass therethrough, a stack connection for each of said units, a third unit connected to the lower portion of each ofthe two first named units, and the third unit also havmg a separate stack connection, said third unit havlngup-and-down passes therethrough.

10. An open hearth furnace, aving a set of three regenerators foreach end thereof, two of'said regenerators of each set being connected in parallel with the adjacent end of the furnace, and the third regenerator of each set being connected to each of the other two of that set, each of said regenerators having a stack connection, and valve means controlling the several connections whereby any two of them may be operated to the eX- 'clusion of the other, substantially as de- `scribed. i

1l. An open hearth furnace, having a` set of three regenerators for each end thereof, two of said regenerators of each set being connected in parallel with the adjacent end of the furnace, and the third regenerator of each set being connected to each of the other two of that set, each of said regenerators having a stack connection', and valve means controlling the several connections whereby any two of them may be operated to the exclusion of the other,said regenerators being of the vertical stove type, substantially as' described. Y

12. An open hearth furnace having a plu` rality. of regenerator units for each end, cm-

der Vpockets intermediate the end of the furnace and the regenerators, a pit adjacent to each unit, and a cleaning passage or opening leading. from the base ofeach unit to such pit., each cinder pocket having a bottom discharge opening and a detachable closure for said opening, substanially as described.

In testimony whereof,'we have hereunto set-our hands. l

JOHN c. CROMWELL. WM. M. MEHLHoRN. 

